Review: When We Were Magic

This was a great coming of age and friendship story with magical elements – I’ll tell you more in my review of When We Were Magic!

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey. To be published on March 2, 2020. Thanks to the publisher for providing me a review copy. This post contains affiliate links.

Synopsis: Alexis has always been able to rely on two things: her best friends, and the magic powers they all share. Their secret is what brought them together, and their love for each other is unshakeable—even when that love is complicated. Complicated by problems like jealousy, or insecurity, or lust. Or love. That unshakeable, complicated love is one of the only things that doesn’t change on prom night. When accidental magic goes sideways and a boy winds up dead, Alexis and her friends come together to try to right a terrible wrong. Their first attempt fails—and their second attempt fails even harder. Left with the remains of their failed spells and more consequences than anyone could have predicted, each of them must find a way to live with their part of the story.

Review: When We Were Magic

I really loved this one! It made a really interesting contrast to Foul is Fair, which I reviewed on Monday. Both books are about tight-knit squads of friends dealing with a difficult situation. Both were really interesting books, but When We Were Magic was more of a Jen book as it had the relationships and psychological complexity I love as a reader.

It’s Alex’s prom night and she and is ready to lose her virginity to her date at a party when … she accidentally kills him. This happens in a weird and dramatic way that characterizes the darkly humorous tone of this book. She quickly assembles her friends to help her with this unexpected situation. Fortunately, her friends all have magical powers. Unfortunately, they make things … well, not really worse, but not much better either.

The rest of the book explores Alex’s relationships with her friends, her guilt, and her secret, undeclared love for her friend Roya. Her squad is a diverse one, all of whom possessing magical abilities that they seem to be exploring and learning to master. As is often the case in paranormal books, using magic has its consequences, and all of friends start to suffer in different ways. This makes Alex feel guilty, both for unintentionally causing someone’s death and then dragging her friends into it.

At times I wish the magic had been better explained. But the characters didn’t really understand their own powers yet either. It seemed to me that their exploration of their sexualities was somehow intertwined with the magic. Amidst all the drama, the love story of Alex and Roya was so lovely.

I found When We Were Magic quietly suspenseful – it reminded me at times of How to Get Away With Murder or even (if you’re older like me) I Know What You Did Last Summer. And at times, even The Telltale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe (no, I’m not THAT old but I read it in school.)

Definitely recommend you check this one out!! Do you love books about magic and murder? Talk to me in comments!